Be Happy
by ToujoursMiraculous
Summary: Ladybug comes across Adrien feeling down and gives him some very helpful advice.


"Adrien really likes Kagami, huh?" Marinette lied in bed one night, unable to sleep. She wanted above everything, for him to be happy, but the more she thought that his happiness meant being with Kagami, the worse she felt. "Now I know how Chat Noir feels," she smiled sadly, laughing once without humor.

"Are you sure he likes Kagami?" asked Tikki.

Marinette sat up, bringing her legs to her chest so she could wrap her arms around them. "He asked me for advice about her, remember? He was telling me how she's special, pretty, went into detail about her features- I don't even want to think about it!" she buried her face in her knees with a groan.

"Maybe he didn't mean it?"

She sighed. "Of course he meant it, Tikki. He seemed really nervous to be talking about it with me. But he trusted me to help him, and he trusts me to be a good friend to him. How can you even _be_ just a friend when you feel more than that for someone?"

"Uhh," the little Kwami replied nervously. "I honestly don't know. I'm sorry, Marinette."

Marinette shook her head. "It's okay, I'll just have to figure it out as I go." She lied back down, staring up at the skylight above her bed. "Maybe I'll have to ask Chat Noir how he handles it, whenever I see him as Marinette again. I don't think I could bring myself to ask him as Ladybug."

"I think that's a good idea," Tikki offered, "maybe he can help you."

She nodded lightly in reply before shutting her eyes for the night.

Days went by as Marinette watched Adrien spend more time with Kagami. They fenced together, they sometimes ate lunch together, and Kagami would even be seen leaving school with him on occasion. This didn't mean that Marinette spent any less time with Adrien than she usually did, but it made her feel like Kagami had won the spot next to him that she had always hoped would be hers.

Slowly, she came to accept the idea. She drilled, "We're just friends. He's just my friend," into her head whenever she'd start feeling upset about him. Marinette knew this wouldn't make her feelings go away, but somehow, it made them easier to deal with.

While out on patrol one particularly chilly afternoon, Ladybug spotted Adrien in a very unusual place: he was a rooftop, overlooking the city, alone.

"Adrien?" she asked quietly as she landed near him. He jumped, startled. He wasn't expecting company.

"Ladybug?" he said with surprise, removing the baby blue scarf from around his mouth.

"I uh, I was patrolling and saw you up here, which seemed unusual. Is everything okay?" she asked gently.

Adrien put the scarf back over his mouth. "Not really, but I'm sure you have more important things to do. I'll be alright," he shrugged off her offer as he rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

Ladybug walked a few steps, then knelt in front of him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Part of my responsibility as a superhero is making sure I help those that need me. If what you need is an ear, I'm happy to lend mine," she offered with a kind smile that made his heart melt.

Adrien looked into her eyes a moment, before the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. He gave a brief nod, and Ladybug shifted to sit next to him.

"I've been… confused, lately," he began with a deep breath. "There's always been this one girl that I've loved since I met her, but she told me she has feelings for someone else. She knows how I feel, but I'm starting to think that she's out of my reach. Actually, I've always felt that she's out of reach, but I hoped I'd end up being worthy of her someday. But now..."

Ladybug watched him stare ahead, observing the sky as it began to turn a light orange.

"Then I thought, why not try spending time with someone else and see how that goes? So I did, but it didn't go quite how I thought it would. Now I have feelings for someone else, too, but I feel like I'm in the same position as I was with the first girl," he admitted, sounding dejected.

"What do you mean?"

Adrien turned to her with a pained smile on his face. "I don't think I'm good enough. For either of them."

Ladybug furrowed her brows and rested her hand on his shoulder again. "Don't think like that, that's not true."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know why it feels that way. And I don't know what to do. Feeling like this about one girl was hard enough."

Ladybug sighed. "You're not alone with that."

Adrien turned to her this time. "You have problems, too? With Chat Noir?"

Ladybug laughed. "Yes, and two others, it's sort of a mess," she brushed her bangs back.

Adrien looked at her anxiously, clearly waiting for her to continue.

"I think all of Paris knows how Chat Noir feels about me," she stared at a fixed point on the roof. "But I had to turn him down. I told him there's someone else, which is part of it, but he's not the only reason."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's the other reason?" asked Adrien, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Chat knows this, but I don't think he realizes its importance. Being a superhero is very dangerous, and keeping our identities a secret is vital. Until Hawk Moth is brought down, we can't know our civilian identities. If Hawk Moth happened to find out how close we are, how much we cared about each other, he'd do whatever he could to use it against us. For our safety, and for those we love, I can't even entertain the idea," Ladybug explained, sounding rather sad. "I care about him too much to risk his safety, so I have to be the bad guy and push him away, even if it's not what I really want."

They sat in silence for several moments before Adrien spoke. "Can I ask… what's the mess with the other two?"

"It's… kind of like what you're dealing with, by the sound of it," she said carefully. "I found out the boy I've liked likes someone else, and I've been feeling for awhile now that we're just supposed to be friends. Like you, I started spending time with someone else, but…honestly, I'm afraid I'm not deserving of either of them."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "You? _Ladybug_ doesn't feel like she's good enough?"

"Shocking, right?" she teased, but her smile faded after a moment. "But I've done some thinking, and I believe things will work out. Maybe not how I'd want them to, but I think things will turn out alright." Ladybug said with a shrug, then she turned back to him. "This might sound hypocritical coming from me, but I want you to know, that whichever one you choose, you're more than worthy of her. I believe things will work out for you, too. You deserve happiness, Adrien."

Her gentle eyes, her kind words, were overwhelming. For the first time, he believed those words.

Ladybug explanation for how she treated Chat Noir made him feel better, too. It wasn't him - it was Hawk Moth. It was his safety she worried about. It wasn't just an excuse to appease him, to pacify him for the moment. She was right, he didn't like how things were, but he had hope for the future, and he had to hold onto that. Right now, the best thing he could to for her, and for himself, was to go on the path that would bring him happiness, even if not the kind he initially hoped for.

"Thank you, Ladybug. I know what to do now."

"Happy I could help!" she exclaimed cheerfully, getting to her feet. "It's really cold up here. Want some help getting home?"

He realized he was shivering. "Please."

Ladybug wrapped her free arm around his waist, and they swung the couple blocks between the rooftop and his home. They landed in front of his house, outside of the gate. "I hope things work out for you," every word spoken was genuine. "Be happy, okay?" She backed up a few steps, preparing to throw her yo-yo.

"Ladybug!" he called out. She turned to him, waiting. "You deserve more than anyone to be happy."

She smiled in response, giving him a wave, and then she was off. He stood in place, watching her until she was out of sight. "Be happy," he whispered, then turned to head in.

Ladybug had put significant distance between her and Adrien before she stopped to rest on a roof. His parting line rang through her mind. At the moment, she didn't know all of what her happiness would entail. But she knew part of it would be knowing Adrien was happy.

How can you be just a friend when you feel more than that for someone? Ladybug finally knew the answer.

With silent tears and a smile, she headed for home, so she too could get out of the cold.


End file.
